by Brianna Crandall — December 28, 2012—KohnPedersenFox (KPF) held a groundbreaking ceremony this week for what the firm calls “one of the largest and most ambitious construction projects in New York City’s history,” Hudson Yards. Encompassing nearly 5.5 million square feet, the mixed-use complex bound by 10th Avenue, 33rd Street, Hudson Boulevard and 30th Street is designed to be the largest commercial building in New York City.
According to KPF, who designed the project’s master plan, the 26-acre development will be an important symbol of New York City’s continued leadership in global urbanism and, in the words of New York City Mayor Bloomberg, represents “the future of New York.” The mixed-use development incorporates retail, transportation and infrastructure spaces. The KPF-designed South Tower, which will be completed in 2015, is the first building to begin construction on the site.
As the firm describes the project, two angled office towers rise dramatically above a glass-enclosed seven-story retail podium. The defining characteristics of these two towers are said to be the manner in which they relate to each other, to the city, and to the waterfront, and the crucial way they express the activity happening between them. The two buildings tilt in opposing directions, as if they are having a purposeful dialogue. One tower is said to defer to the city, and the other pays homage to the Hudson River. The towers’ skyline presence is dynamic, offering varying experiences depending on the viewing location and creating a dynamic presence on the New York cityscape.
According to KPF Design Principal Bill Pedersen: “During my entire career, I have focused on bringing urban commercial buildings into interactive relationships with their context. No building should stand in isolation, and every building should link to the fabric of the city. I consider Hudson Yards to be the most important test in my career of this philosophical position. The relationships between buildings are facilitated and encouraged by our desire to create structures that gesture and defer to one another.”
A short video of the groundbreaking ceremony is available on YouTube.
